How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments?
It is important to note that the participant may or may not be right in their guess.
The researchers concluded that the reporting of symptoms was influenced by the demand characteristics as well as social expectations.
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Researchers typically rely on a number of different strategies to minimize the impact of demand characteristics.
Deception is a very common approach.
InAsch’s conformity experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in a vision experiment.
In reality, the researchers were interested in the role that social pressure plays inconformity.
By disguising the true intentions of the experiment, researchers are able to minimize the possibility of demand characteristics.
In other cases, researchers will minimize the contact that they have with study subjects.
2012;7(6):e39116.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039116
Aubuchon PG, Calhoun KS.Menstrual cycle symptomatology: The role of social expectancy and experimental demand characteristics.Psychosom Med.
